Molding-clamp



(No Model.)

0 A. PHELPS & w. w. STERNS. MOLDING CLAMP.

N0. 332,942. Patented Dec. 22, 1885.

WITNESSES l INVENTOR i I I r ATTORNEYS.

PEYERS. Phowutno n mr. Wnhingkm, n.c.

ilNi'TEn STATES PATENT OTFICE.

CHARLES ALFRED PHELPS AND WILLIAM WILBUR STERNS, OF HUMBOLDT,

IOWA.

MOLDING-CLAMP.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,942, dated December 22, 1885.

Application filed November 6, 1884. Renewed September 5. 1885. Serial No. 176,269. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES ALFRED PHELPS and WILLIAM WILBUR STERNs, citizens of the United States, residing at Humboldt, in the county of Humboldt and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Molding Olamps,ofwhich the following is a description.

This invention relates to that class of machines used for holding the mitered corners of pictureframes and other moldings while being nailed, and its object is to hold the mitered ends of moldings of any kind rigidly against each other in a position convenient to be nailed while both hands of the operator are free for use, and to hold brads of different sizes convenient to be reached by the operator while he is engaged at the machine.

To this end our invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a molding-vise hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 is a plan view, of our invention.

A represents a base-piece of sufficient size to maintain the machine in an upright position.

B is the standard supporting most of the working parts and fixed to the base.

0 is a metallic anvil fixed to the standard, with its working-faces D D at right angles to each other and slanting at forty-five degrers.

On these two faces of the anvil the two pieces of molding P, already cut to a miter-joint, are placed with their mitered faces together, forming a joint directly over the central corner of the anvil. To so hold them while being nailed,

we provide two independent jaws, E, fitted to the standard to slide at right angles to the respective faces of the anvil. For this purpose the top of the standard is notched at a right angle, each face F of the notch serving as one guideway for a jaw E. The other guideway for each jaw is a strip of metal, G, placed parallel to the faces F. and bent down at its upper ends to a vertical position-to lap onto the sides of the standard, where it is permanently secured by screws.

H is a foot lever or treadle having two side bars pivoted at I to the base A, and connected by rods J, bell-crank levers K, and rods L with the jaws E. Thus by pressing the foot on the treadle both jaws may be drawn tightly upon the work, and if the-two parts of the work vary somewhat in thickness, as such work usually does, they will still be both held firmly, for the treadle will twist a little, so that the foot-piece or cross bar M thereof acts as though its ends were hung to the rods J, only that some leverage is gained by the pivoted treadle side bars. When the two parts of the work are thus firmly held together, the operator nails them.

This machine being portable, to be set up anywhere, and as the operator cannot leave the machine after he has secured his work to get nails, and, as both his hands are required to arrange the work, he cannot carry either hammer or nails conveniently at the same time, we have therefore attached a nail-box,

N, to the rear side of the standard, where it is out of the way of the work, and yet very convenient to hold nails. tioned into stalls to hold nails or brads of various sizes suitable for different classes of work. The box also serves as a shelf on which to lay a hammer. The left-hand jaw is connected with the right-hand bell-crank lever, anl vice versa, so that the action of the draft-rods L is in direct line with the movement of the jaws, thus applying power to the greatest advantage.

We are aware that there are patents on frame-holders operating somewhat on the same as 5 principle as ours-such, for instance, as Patents No. 143,265 and No. 212,552, and we do not claim as our invention the combinations therein shown.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the base A, the standard B, provided with guideways at its top at a right angle with each other, and the independent jaws E, fitted to slide therein, of the rectangular anvil O, fixedto the said standard in the path of the jaws with its faces at right angles to the line of travel of the jaws, the treadle H, pivoted to the base, the bellcrank levers K, and the rods J and L, connect- This box may be p 75 r e i szeez ing the levers K with the treadle H and the being above and parallel to the right-angular jaws E, respectively, substantially as shown notch in the post, and the jaws E, fitted to slide and described. between the strap G and the top of the post,

2. The combination of the vertical post B, substantially as shown and described.

5 notched at its upper end to a right angle, the CHARLES ALFRED PHELPS strap G formed with a right-an ular bend at its center, and with two bends at forty-five I WILLIAM WILBUR STERNS' degrees therewith near its ends, the said ends Vitnesses: being parallel and secured to the vertical edges G. L. TREMAIN, to of the said post, the right angle of the strap G. H. SHELLENBERGER. 

